Brought to you by our Canadian content laws.

Just when we thought Canadian content couldn’t suck any more than it did with Corner Gas, we get a special treat. From the folks who brought you that steaming pile comes this attempt at comedy.

Shooting begins in July on InSecurity, a 13-part “action comedy” about bumbling Canadian spies, producers said in Regina.

The series stars include relative newcomer Natalie Lisinska as a rookie agent; William deVry, from the soap opera The Bold and the Beautiful, as her boss; and well-known Quebec actor Remy Girard as a jaded veteran.

I accidentally saw a trailer for the show on Sunday night, and almost immediately wanted to change the channel. That’s after the preview–I’m scared to watch the show. Folks, I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. If we didn’t have Canadian content laws in place, people up here would actually be inclined to create a show on par with a CSI, or hell, even a Simpsons. Here’s the problem, though. Most Canadian shows, well, suck. Yes, I’m looking at you, Little Mosque On The Prairie. But even if they suck, the CRTC says they have to be played. So Corner Gas, Little Mosque, and now this sad attempt at something vaguely resembling a TV show get air time. And hey look, they all get plenty of airtime on CBC–no wonder I only watch that channel for Hockey Night in Canada.

We lose the Can Con laws, we get decent TV shows, kids. Keep the laws, we get crap–and it still gets airtime. Seems like a simple enough choice to me. So why have no Canadian governments dared bring up such sacreligiousness? Good question. Any political types care to weigh in with an explanation? Inquiring minds kind of wouldn’t mind knowing.

2 comments

I actually think Corner Gas is funny, but I was also a Brent Butt fan way back when nobody knew who the hell he was.

And the reason we have CanCon is because corporations can’t be trusted to let the best shows and music, no matter where they’re from, have an equal chance. Yeah there’s some bad Canadian content out there, but there’s also some really great stuff, stuff that would have never seen the light of day if it was left up to the networks themselves.

I don’t doubt there’s some good Can Con out there. Canadian Air Farse, anyone? But the majority of the crap we see from the Canadian side is, well, crap. And they play it anyway. We don’t know what the networks would or wouldn’t play if they had a choice, because they really don’t have a choice. Most certainly if they’re the CBC–where most Can Con crap ends up.

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